Ball.



VA. E. MEIER.

BALL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE-3, 19|?.

Iatented Apr. 23, 1918.

BALL.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1212.

Application filed .Tune 23, 1917. Serial No. 176,474.

T0 all lwhom t may concern.' y

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. Minna, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Balls, of which the following is a description, referencev being had to the accompanying drawing, which 'orms a part of my specification.

My invention relates to balls used for playing and more particularly to the core or center of the ball; the invention being especially applicable for use in connection with base-balls.

The invention has for its object the provision of a core or center composed of material having great resiliency; the core or center being preferably formed in the nature of a sphere upon which the remainder of the ball is constructed to any desired diameter or size, by the employment of yarn or other suitable material; the nature whereof depends upon the use for which the ball is intended.

In the manufacture of base-balls, the great desideratum is to provide what is known as a live ball, that is, a ball possessing the desired or necessary weight and at the same time having great resiliency or rebound.

The object oit the invention is to provide a ball wherein the center or core, whereby the resiliency imparting quality is obtained, is composed of such material as will at all times retain its resiliency.

The inventiony is applicable for use in connection with base-balls, golf balls, indoor base-balls, and the like, wherein the core or center may be incased in a shell or covering of suitable rubber, either in the nature of rubber bands or strands tightly Wound upon the core, or a properly constructed rubber shell or vulcanized rubber covering, whereby the center or core is maintained in its compressed condition; the degree of compression being somewhat proportional with the ldegree of resiliency it is desired to obtain. l

The invention and its advantages will be more fully comprehended from the follow` ing detailed description of the various exempliications set forth in the accompanying drawings, wherein :-v

F1 ure 1 1s a cross sectional view of a base all embodylng my lnvention.

Fig. 2 is a partial elevation and sectional View of my improved core or center.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of my invention, showing its application .to what is known as an indoor base-ball.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view illustrating the application of my invention to a golf ball.

Fig. 5 illustrates a invention.

In the exemplication of the invention, as illustrated in Fig. 1, Where the same is shown in the nature of a base-ball, 10 desig nates the central corewhich consists of sponge compressed into suitable form and preferably maintained in compressed condition by small bands or strands of rubber, indicated at 11, Wound under tension upon the sponge core 10. The degree of resiliency, and therefore to a certain extent, thiJ degree of compression of the sponge may be regulated by the degree of tension under which the rubber strands or bands are wound upon the core. In this form, the strands or bands of rubber are then provided with'layers of soft rubber indicated at- 12, which is subjected to the ordinary hardening or vulcanizing treatment induced by suitable `degree of heat and pressure for a predetermined period of time whereby the rubber is caused to retain the desired resiliency. l

The layers of rubber 12 having been thorouhly vulcanized, the farn, or other material, depending upon t e use to which the ball is intended to be placed, is then applied to the composite core composed of the compressed sponge and rubber. Where the ball is intended to constitute a base-ball, the thread or yarn is tightly wound upon this composite core, as indicated at 13 in Fig. l; the yarn or other thread 12 being preferably wound in layers and provided with intermediate' layers or coatings of adhesive plastic composition, such as rubber cement, as indicated at 11i in Fig. l. The plastic composition or cement causes the yarn or thread to be held in its rmly wound condition, and therefore also assists in maintaining the spherical contour of the various windings or layers. The yarn or thread portion of the ball may given any number of intermediate coatin of plastlc composition or cement, as in icated in Fig. 1.A

modified form of my After the ball has been formed to the desired dimensions, the whole structure is then incased in an outer cover, indicated atl in Fig. 1, which is preferably made of suitably cut strips of horse-hide stitched or suitably sewed together.

Where the ball is intended to vconstitute what is known as an indoor base-ball, after the composite core of sponge and suitable strands of rubber or covering of rubber has been completed, the core is incased in suitable hair, waste or loose yarn, indicated at 16 in Fig. 3, and preferablyv somewhat coms,

pressed and the composite mass provided witha suitable cover indicated at 17, which may be of suitable leather made of properly cut strips stitched together in the. usual manner. Y

The composite core ina ball of this kind may be identical with the core previously described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or may simply consist of they sponge 10 provided with a suitable number of rubber bands 11 without completely incasing the core in additional covering of vulcanized rubber 12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention applied to a golf ball, wherein the center or core is composed of a suitable quantity of sponge compressed into compact form, preferably made spherical, and then provided with rubber bands 11, which are wound thereon under tension in a manner similar to that previously described; after which it is provided with a covering of guttapercha or other suitable material, indicated at 18, of suiiicient hardness so as to adapt the ball for golf.

In some instances it may be found desirable to dip the sponge in a rubber solution before applying the various windings ofmit the sponge core to be forced into the ball under compression; the sponge being firmly packed or rammed into the rubber shell or ball so as to completely fill the same while the sponge is still in its compact or compressed condition. The shell 19 having been completely. filled with the compressed, firmly packed sponge, the plug or section '20 is then cemented into place. ThisV comable cover of horse-hide or other suitable material.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, as well as the illustrations set forth in the drawing, great rigidity will be given to the entire ball, as a result of the compressed nature of the core, and be maintained either by the tension of the winding of the encircling rubber strands, or the incasing element. Itis also evident that the resiliency of the ball may be modified or controlled by regulating the tension of the rubber strands or the degree of compression to which the sponge core or center is subjected. l y

I have shown and described what I believe to be the simplest and best exemplification of my improved ball, but the invention may have expression in somewhat modified form without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is A ball comprising a center of compressed sponge incased in resilient rubber whereby the sponge is maintained under compression, layers of thread or yarn wound under tension` upon said rubber casing, the respective layers of thread or yarn being providedwith a coating of cement, and an outer cover ofsuitable material.

ARTHUR E. MEIER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HEIDMAN, F. A. FnoRELL. 

